How to start and end your threads neatly
I want to start this post by saying that you absolutely do not have to keep the back of your embroideries neat if you don’t want to!
In fact I very rarely take the time to keep the back of my stitching neat
However this was highly requested and on those occasions when I do like to keep my work tidy, this is how I do it!
This method can be particularly useful if you’re using dark colours on thin fabric and you don’t want to see trailing threads through your work, or if you’re using a very sheer fabric like organza to stitch on
I’m going to be using the back of a strawberry sprig design I’m working on to illustrate this method for you
When you already have some existing stitching:
thread your needle with your desired thread but don’t knot the end
slide your needle under a few of your existing stitches and pull through til you have a tail of just an inch or two
hold this tail (I find if it’s close enough to the edge of the hoop I clamp it with the thumb of my hand that’s holding the hoop)
again slide your needle under the same few stitches as before
Gently tug your thread to see if it’s secure, if needed repeat the step above til it is
now trim your thread tail as close to the knot you’ve just created as you want
You’re ready to start stitching!
If you have no existing stitching (starting a new design):
bring your needle up to the right side of your fabric
leave a thread tail long enough to hold, around 5 inches
hold this tail as you complete the first few stitches
turn your hoop over to the back and thread your needle onto the thread tail you left earlier
slide your needle under the stitches you have just made a few times to secure the thread end
trim the thread end, re thread the needle onto your working thread and resume stitching
Finishing your threads:
bring your needle to the back of your work
slide your needle under some of your stitches 2-3 times to secure the end
trim your thread as close to this knot as possible
It’s as simple as that!
I hope that answers all the questions you had. Let me know in the comments if you want tutorials for anything else
Remember, the back of your work is no one’s business but your own. If you want to keep it neat with this method, great, go for it! But if you don’t feel the need to then a good old trusty knot will be just fine